Crayons and Art Class

Growing up in a tough situation, going to elementary school was never easy.
Money was always the issue. No matter how hard my mother worked, we barely scraped by.
Bringing school supplies like crayons or paint was out of the question.
When art class came around and my classmates headed outside to draw,
I stayed behind and quietly cleaned the classroom.

I was often told I had a knack for drawing,
but since I couldn’t afford crayons, I always used whatever I had—usually old, worn-down pencils.
One day, with just a stubby pencil, I entered a writing contest and won first prize.
That moment set me on the path to becoming a writer,
and eventually led me to write what is now known as “Godowon’s Morning Letter.”
Those lonely, bittersweet art classes without crayons
became the very foundation of my writing.

poverty, creativity, resilience